Which motherboard should I get?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kutt
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the selection of a motherboard for an Ivy-Bridge gaming PC, specifically comparing the MSI Big Bang Mpower Z77 and the ASUS Sabertooth Z77. Participants share their experiences and opinions regarding the reliability, performance, and features of both motherboards.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a strong preference for the ASUS Sabertooth Z77, citing negative experiences with MSI motherboards, including issues with speed, buggy drivers, and even a fire incident.
  • Others argue in favor of the MSI Big Bang Mpower Z77, pointing out positive reviews and a greater number of features compared to the ASUS board.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of long-term testing and owner reviews over short-term website reviews, suggesting that a single 24-hour test is insufficient to demonstrate reliability.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for thermal cycling to weaken solder connections, referencing a past experience with an MSI motherboard that overheated.
  • Another participant mentions having a positive experience with an MSI X58 motherboard, indicating that not all MSI products are problematic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on which motherboard is superior, with some advocating for ASUS based on personal experiences and others supporting MSI based on features and reviews. The discussion remains unresolved with competing views on reliability and performance.

Contextual Notes

Participants' claims are based on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, which may not represent broader trends or outcomes. There are unresolved questions regarding the long-term reliability of both motherboards.

Kutt
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In my opinion? The ASUS, as MSI is trash. The MSIs I've had have all been slow and had intolerably buggy drivers. One of them even caught fire. ASUS is a solid brand, though.
 
justsomeguy said:
In my opinion? The ASUS, as MSI is trash. The MSIs I've had have all been slow and had intolerably buggy drivers. One of them even caught fire. ASUS is a solid brand, though.

All of the reviews of that MSI motherboard have been positive, and based on what I've researched, it has more features than the ASUS board.
 
Kutt said:
All of the reviews of that MSI motherboard have been positive, and based on what I've researched, it has more features than the ASUS board.

Check for followups and reviews of owners, not just website reviews where they only run the thing for an hour or two. Your money is your own of course, was just volunteering my experience, which may of course be abnormal.

I'm a fan of ASUS and EPOX, do not care for MSI or Gigabyte. Others I'm neutral on.
 
justsomeguy said:
Check for followups and reviews of owners, not just website reviews where they only run the thing for an hour or two. Your money is your own of course, was just volunteering my experience, which may of course be abnormal.

I'm a fan of ASUS and EPOX, do not care for MSI or Gigabyte. Others I'm neutral on.

I saw that the MSI Big Bang M-power was tested with prime95 for 24 hours straight without failing.
 
Kutt said:
I saw that the MSI Big Bang M-power was tested with prime95 for 24 hours straight without failing.

I'd be WAY more impressed with a test that ran it for an hour a day every other day for a couple of months.

I mean, a single 24-hr test has exactly one power up/down cycle. NOT impressive.
 
phinds said:
I'd be WAY more impressed with a test that ran it for an hour a day every other day for a couple of months.

I mean, a single 24-hr test has exactly one power up/down cycle. NOT impressive.

Repeated thermal cycles weakening a solder connection is most likely what caused the fire on the MSI I had. Fire may be overstating it a bit; it got hot enough to let out all the special smoke and melt the connector though. They warranty replaced it, but it took over a month.
 
I'm using an MSI X58 motherboard and I have had absolutely NO issues with it whatsoever for going on 2 years now..
 

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